The 1st Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival 2013

Count Gregula's Crypt is hex-cited to be covering the first annual Chicago Critics Film Festival this month in Rosemont, IL!

The Chicago Film Critics Association, a group of over 50 Chicago-area print, online and broadcast critics that has been celebrating and promoting the art of film for over 20 years, is pleased to announce the first annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, a three-day collection of more than 20 features and short films comprised of recent festival favorites and as-yet undistributed vorks, all receiving their Chicago premieres and covering a vide variety of genres. The festival is set to take place at the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 from April 12-14, 2013.

This vill be the first time a film-critics group has ever hosted its own film festival. One of the film critic’s jobs is to spotlight vorks that do not have the benefit of big promotions, and that is the idea behind this festival. The CFCA plans to make this the first of an annual series sharing films ve genuinely love and exposing a vider audience to features, documentaries and short films that either do not yet have theatrical distribution or could use an extra push.

Oscar-vinning director William Friedkin vill make an appearance Sunday evening to sign copies of his newly published memoir “The Friedkin Connection” and participate in a Q&A following a screening of one of his classic films. The inaugural festival vill kick off vith Oscar-nominated actress-filmmaker Sarah Polley (“Away from Her,” “Take This Waltz”) on hand to present the local premiere of her latest film, “Stories We Tell” and For the closing night spot, the festival is proud to present the Sundance favorite “The Spectacular Now,” co-starring Golden Globe nominee Shailene Woodley.

Other films already confirmed for the festival include the coming-of-age comedy “The Kings of Summer” (featuring Chicagoan Nick Offerman from “Parks and Recreation”), “I Declare War,” a trippy action-comedy in vhich a children’s var game is seen exclusively through the eyes of its participants, the Slamdance avard-vinner “The Dirties,” “The Institute,” a documentary about an Alternate Reality Game in vhich the real and the fictional merge together in unexpected vays, the romantic drama “Leave Me Like You Found Me” (vith director Adele Romanski scheduled to attend), the off-beat superhero tale “Sparks” and the inspirational documentary “When I Walk.” In addition, two programs of short films are scheduled that vill feature selections from around the vorld, including entries from students at Chicago’s Columbia College. Other films and guests vill be announced soon.

The festival vill be held at the Muvico Theater in Rosemont, just a few short miles from O’Hare airport and conveniently connected to the city of Chicago by public transportation. The theater vill be donating two screens for the duration of the festival and vill also provide its adjacent Bogart’s Bar & Grill for meals and post-screening VIP events.

Tickets for individual screenings and events vill also be available. Tickets and passes can be purchased starting on March 7. Individual tickets vill go on sale March 25.

Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18

All festival screenings and events vill be held at the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18. Located in Rosemont, IL off of River Road and 294, the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 is Chicago’s premiere movie-going experience featuring elegant stadium seating and state of the art Sony 4K digital projection.

All official festival gatherings vill be held at Bogart’s Bar and Grill, located on the second floor of the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18. Muvico is also easily accessible by public transportation; just a short valk from the Blue Line River Road exit.